I used FTP to download AdbeRdr1000_en_US.exe from ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/10.x/10.0.0/en_US and tried to install it. I got an error popup indicating a file failed to register. When I dismissed the popup, the installation continued. However, I could not start AcroRd32.exe.

I removed Adobe Reader X. I then used FTP to download AdbeRdr1000_en_US.msi from ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/10.x/10.0.0/en_US and tried to install it. This time, I did not get an error popup. However, I still could not start AcroRd32.exe.

This time, I captured some of the error data, the image of which is here. The top is an error popup. The bottom is what I got when I selected "click here" to see technical information. No, I did not capture ALL of the technical information.

I have now reverted back to Adobe Reader 9.4.0.195. Will not Adobe Reader X install in Windows XP?

After posting my original message, I downloaded AdbeRdr1000_en_US.exe using my browser at http://get.adobe.com/reader/. That copy of the installer file has the same SHA1 hashcode as the copy I obtained from the FTP site. They are the same.

Having the same issue. I am on Windows XP SP3: con no longer view any pdf, as i am getting the error describe above, after upgrading to Acrobat X. Tried to install/uninstall again and again, no luck. Uninstalled and installed Acrobat 9, not working. Uninstalled Acrobat 9, installed Acrobat 8, no luck. Used a registry cleaner product, restarted Windows after uninistalling/installing multiple times. In the end looks like i made it work with Acrobat 8.

I can confirm the above problem and might be able to provide a solution.

Error and Symptoms: application error loading AcrRd32.exe - instruction "0x100010e6" refers to memory address "0x00000000" - read could not be performed. You will find a log entry in the system event log within windows.

Systems affected so far:

Windows XP ServicePack 3

Adobe Reader X

PGP Desktop Security 8.1

Reason: Adobe Acrobat Reader X (version 10.0.0) is incomptible with pgphk.dll (version 8.1.0.0). PGPhk.dll belongs to an installation of PGP Desktop Security version 8.1.0.0, which is an older paid version of the well-known PGP.

Workaround: As a workaround, you need to disable loading of "pgptray.exe", a helper application for the Windows XP systemtray which is being loaded at windows startup. As long as pgptray.exe is loaded, the startup of Adobe Reader X fails. You might also just kill the pgptray.exe process from the Windows Task-Manager before attempting to load Adobe Reader X.

Can someone with the appropriate credentials pass the information on to the product manager in charge for further investigation?

I have not used McAfee products in many years. I was using Norton Anti-Virus from Symantec until a little over 2 years ago. Then I switched to AVG Anti-Virus (the freeware version, now at v.10.0.1153).

PGP:

I intalled PGP 8.0.3 on 29 July 2006, more than 4 years ago. Again, this is the freeware version, whiich does not include Desktop. I do have PGPhk.dll, but it is v.8.0.3.0 and not v.8.1.0.0.

In any case, Adobe Reader 9.4 (and all prior versions of Adobe Reader) installed and worked okay with both AVG (at least back to Adobe Reader 8.1.3) and PGP. If Adobe Reader X cannot install and work with those applications, then the problem lies with Adobe and not with either AVG or PGP. However, I will try again to install Adobe Reader X while AVG is disabled; but there is no way that I will operate my PC on an ongoing basis without an anti-virus application running.

I was able to install Adobe Reader X without any error after disabling AVG. However, I could not launch the reader until I killed PGPtray. Since I use PGP much more often than I use Adobe Reader, this is NOT an acceptable workaround. I thus reverted to Adobe Reader 9.4.

As I indicated before, this is an Adobe problem, not a PGP problem. I do not understand at all why there is any interaction between Adobe Reader and PGP.

That is very informative, thank you. I also have in my system PGP 8.1 installed and use it all the time. My antivirus software is Symantec. That does not seem to be the issue, as i understand, so, i have not tried disabling it, as i could install Acrobat X fine: Acrobat X would just not run for me.

I also went back to Acrobat 9.4 and i am a bit baffled about this conflict between PGP 8.1 and Acrobat X.

Out of curiosity, what is the reason for this conflict... is that because of new security features in Acrobat X....?

Software that still performs the functions needed by the user is NOT obsolete, even if the developer wants to sell newer versions by announcing the "End of Life" for older versions. PGP 8.x is NOT broken. PGP 9.x and PGP 10.x contain no features that I really want, which is why I never upgraded. This is quite different from the situation with Adobe Reader, in which Adobe Reader 9.4 has a demonstrated vulnerability that is fixed in Adobe Reader 10.0.0.1.

To make matters worse, PGP 10.0.3 (the latest version available from Symantec) contains a vulnerability much worse than the one in Adobe Reader 9.4. At least, the build date of the PGP 10.0.3 installer is earlier than the report date at http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/300785.

I still do not understand why Adobe Reader has any interaction with PGP.

PGP (now owned by Symantec) has a fix for its bug. However, the fix is available only for the paid form of PGP 10.0.3. It is NOT available for the trial form (i.e., freeware) form of PGP 10.0.3.

Thus, to install and use the freeware Adobe Reader X, I must pay for PGP 10.0.3. Alternatively, I can abandon use of PGP; or I can stay with Adobe Reader 9.4. The former alternative is unacceptable; I use PGP more than I view PDF files. The latter alternative leaves me with a vulnerability that is not as serious as the bug in PGP 10.0.3 and that might be avoided if my anti-virus software (NOT Symantec's Norton) is kept current.

I'm using Windows XP Professonal, SP3, without PGP, and I also experienced failure of Reader X to open after initial installation in response to automatic updater notification.

On 22 Nov 2010, I reinstalled Reader 9.4.1, which is functioning normally, and shortly thereafter, the updater stopped notification of an available update. Indeed, as of this morning, 29 Nov, the updater still indficates no update available for Reader 9.4.1. However, Reader X is still offered for downloading at the Adobe website. This seems like apparently contradictory signals as to whether or not Adobe recognizes the problem with Reader X.

I hope Adobe will make an announcement as to when it is advisable to try again to update to Reader X. Meanwhile, I am continuing to use reader 9.4.1, and I am reluctant to risk going through the trouble of reupgrading to Reader X, reremoving it ,and reresintalling 9.4.1!

Now, running the updater on Adobe Reader 9.4.1 produces the message "No updates available"; but when I go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/, Adobe Reader X is still offered for downloading. Consequently, I'm getting mixed signals as to whether I should try another installation of Adobe Reader X at this time.

I can confirm that Reader X will not run with PGP 8.0.2, an older free version that was fully compatible with Reader 9.4.1. It would help to know if Adobe intends to develop a fix for this problem, as well as how users can determine when Reader X can be used with PGP. Uninstalling X and reinstalling 9.4.1 on a repetitive basis just to see if the problem has been fixed is tedious and unproductive. The free PGP 8.0.2 meets all my needs and I plan to continue using it.

Thank you BigAlUK2 - I can confirm that setting the properties of the "shortcut to Abobe Reader X" to "Windows 2000" compatibility mode enables me to use both PGP 8.0.2 and Adobe Reader X. It does not appear to allow PDF files to be read via MSIE.

I am running Windows XP professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3 with Adober Reader X 10.0.0 and PGP 8.0.2. PGP is a paid for version so, I too, have no great need to upgrade it on my XP systems (I had to upgrade PGP on Windows 7 but that is a different story!)

Besides IE, use of Windows 2000 compatibility mode also does not allow PDF files to be read via Firefox, SeaMonkey, or other Gecko-based browsers. Thus, this is not an acceptable fix for the problem of having both PGP 8.x and Adobe Reader X on the same PC.

As I indicated back in October, I really do not understand why Adobe Reader has any interaction with a PGP-specific DLL file.

At the present, I cannot upgrade PGP to a compatible version since all such compatible versions are afflicted with a serious security vulnerability that Symantec (the current owner of PGP) declines to correct for freeware PGP versions.

Are you (rafsi01) able to view a PDF document from the Web within your Web browser? I was not able to do this with version 10.0 with or without he compatibility setting of "Windows 2000". Yes, I could open PDF files from my hard disc in Adobe Reader; but the plug-in for my browser merely gave me a thick horizontal bar.

hi... had not thought of that aspect... anyhow... just tried, and you are right it didn't work for me in IE7. I expected Firefox 4beta, but no luck there either... both browsers i had a blank windows.... Things did work on Google Chrome thou...(latest version as of today).

I would just add that I experienced similar problems only this time with PGP Desktop v9. I don't think that it is solely an issue with 8. Closing the pgptray process solved the problem in the meantime.

The problem you are getting is another issue completely and maybe best to open another post. I cant really say what would be causing it but I'll give you a few tips you can try out:

1. Terminate all non-essential processes as other programs may interact with the browser.

2. Check if you have any plugins loading up (managed addons in IE settings) and see if u can disable them

3. See if you can drag and drop a pdf file in the browser and if it opens up

4. Disable "Display PDF in browser" in Adobe preference settings and see if it makes a difference

5. Disable Adobe's "Protected mode" and see if it works. If so you'll know its related to Adobes sandbox.

I've seen that not all sandbox issues do get logged to its log file, if disabling does make the issue go way you might need to wait for the next Adobe Readers update which is due in June and hopefully they'll fix it.